New Research Supports Concord Grape Juice and Healthy

In addition to a healthy lifestyle, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help support a healthy heart. Fruits in particular contain a variety of health-promoting plant nutrients (or polyphenols) that can play a role in cardiovascular health, yet not all fruits contain the same types of polyphenols and not all polyphenols have the same effect on the body.

A new study, directed by Dr. Valérie Schini-Kerth at the Université de Strasbourg, shows that the type of polyphenol, not just the amount, is central to the effect on promoting blood vessel relaxation,1 which is associated with healthy circulation and cardiovascular wellbeing. Building off her previous work in this area,2 Schini-Kerth and colleagues sampled a variety of commercially-available fruit juices to determine their ability to induce endothelium-dependent relaxation in a laboratory model.1

Of the 51 fruit juice products examined, three products: a blackcurrant juice, a red juice blend, and specifically Welch’s Concord grape juice had the most potent positive effect on blood vessel health. While these three products also had the highest polyphenol content of the juices, the data suggest that it’s not only the polyphenol concentration that correlates to the relaxation effect, but also the types of polyphenols present. Additionally, the sugar concentration did not correlate with the blood vessel relaxation, which may suggest that sugars do not alter the beneficial effects of polyphenols in fruit juice.

This study builds on the author’s earlier work showing that Concord grape juice has positive effects on blood vessel health3,4 and the nearly twenty years of research suggesting that this juice can support a healthy heart. In fact, the authors note that in the case of Concord grape juice, research has shown an improved endothelial function5,6 and a benefit on both systolic and diastolic blood pressure,7 in certain at-risk people who drink Concord grape juice.

Expert Outlook:

According to the authors: “The present findings are in good agreement with our previous work and indicate that the fruit-derived juices with the largest benefit on vascular activity are predominantly those from berries, including the Concord grape.”